Ozekhome backs call for population census after 2019 polls

Human rights activist and lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) on Wednesday called for the suspension of the population census until the 2019 general elections.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, had made similar calls last week.

Ozekhome, who spoke at a news conference in Abuja, said such suspension was necessary to get the accurate data of Nigerians.

“So, when Dogara is afraid of a census before 2019, I sympathize with him because he knows that of all the issues that are implosive and sensitive in Nigeria, census is arguably the most sensitive.

“This is because Nigerians have learnt not to bake the national cake but to depend on sharing of the national cake.
“Every month all the commissioners for finance leave the 36 states to come and share the national cake.

“After that, the governors use about 40 per cent of it for their so-called security votes that are not accounted. When they finish that, they wait again for the next month end.

“We cannot get it right like that; we must diversify the economy.’’

According to him, Nigerians always consider population as a mantra for the calculation of the country’s resources as to who gets what and how much.

The renowned lawyer added that section 162 of the 1999 constitution clearly deals with revenue allocation, adding that the current sharing formula did not promote social justice.